To accept ourselves is to accept that what we think, feel, and do are all expressions of the self when they occur.- Nathaniel Branden, 2011, p. 59
Let us be grateful that a film like BADHAI DO exists for starters. It is a cause for celebration that Hindi films slowly embrace popular and bold issues. For instance, attempting to portray closely into people’s lives from the LGBTQIA+ community is a cause for joy. It represents the rising reality of our culture.
This story revolves around Suman (Bhumi Pednekar) & Shardul (Rajkumar Rao). They lead a double life where they are socially trapped as both belong to the LGBTQ+ community.
Suman’s character is introduced as a physical education teacher (P.T). She has been under the strain of marriage since she has turned 30 and refuses to marry because she is aware of her situation. Shardul, on the other hand, is a police officer who once dreamed of becoming a bodybuilder but gave up after his father died when he was a child. His family has been urging him to marry for a long time, but he has resisted since he came out as gay.
Both of them meet under strange circumstances, and Shardul, after a while, proposes to Suman an idea to do a compromise marriage since they’re both heterosexuals and need to shut the mouths of their overbearing families.
जोड़ियां ऊपर से बनकर आती हैं, In this case, it’s a lavender match made in heaven. A lavender marriage is a hetero marriage between two homosexual individuals who consent to this public exhibition of marriage for various reasons, including social integration, updating their marital status, and so on. People do not openly discuss these marriages, yet they have always existed.
With this marriage, they’ve mastered the art of keeping their connection hidden from their families, neighbours, and friends. They have remained true to themselves, however. These two went from one crazy situation to the next with this relationship. Still, Shardul and Suman’s real-life partners got through it with ease, comfort, understanding, and love, just like any other relationship, implying that the movie’s goal is not to stereotype the LGBTQ+ community but to change people’s minds and eliminate stereotypes about them.
The movie successfully reflects how families react when their children speak out about their sexuality, from referring to homosexuality as a disease to labelling them a pervert. Without giving too much away about the movie, Sumi’s father reacts by saying, “Humare Ghar hi Kyun?” This should make us realise that no matter who the person is, it’s all about the mental health of someone belonging to the community, isn’t it?
Essentially, this film is an emotional roller coaster of emotions. They masterfully express every feeling, including laughter, love, grief, anxiety, and happiness. The LGBTQ+ parade at the end will puff out your chests with “PRIDE” and feelings, regardless of which community you belong to. “Love has no gender,” says the parade.
